Welcome to day two of the Halloween Special! Day one featured a handspun pumpkin (handspunpkin?) which was more of a description than an actual tutorial, but today you’ll never guess what I’ve got here.

It’s glow-in-the-dark. It’s a mushroom. It’s a FREE PATTERN!

This spooky fungus is cute and quick and has a little secret pouch inside the hollow stem, covered by the moveable cap that is strung on the chain loop band.

The glow-in-the-dark yarn I use here is awesome, from a company called Gert’s Glow House. They don’t always have it in stock though, so you might have to range afar to find it. Since gauge isn’t critical on this project, you can also easily substitute other glow or neon yarns if you can’t get that exact type.

FUN FACT: There is a species of mushroom called the Jack-o’-Lantern Mushroom (Omphalotus olearius) that really does glow in the dark! That’s what I named these little pockets after 🙂

Jack-o’-Lantern Mushroom Pouch

Materials:
3.75 mm hook
Gert’s Glow House Glow-in-the-Dark Yarn (50 g, 4-ply fingering weight) – 1 skein
Tapestry needle & scissors
Stitch Marker

Gauge is not critical

Notes:
Pattern uses 2 strands of yarn held together, so you will need to either split your skein in half, work from both ends, or use 2 skeins

Rounds are worked continuously without joining, so mark the first stitch of each round with a marker to keep track.

Helpful Tutorials: 
Magic Ring, Back Loop Only

Stem:

To begin, take 2 strands and make a Magic Ring.
Rnd 1: 6 sc into the ring. Pull the ring closed tightly. – 6 sts
Rnd 2: 2 sc in each of the next 6 sc. – 12 sts
Rnd 3: Working in the back loop only, 1 sc in ea of the next 12 sts. – 12 sts
Rnds 4 -13: Work in both loops, 1 sc in ea of the next 12 sts. – 12 sts

You can add extra rounds here if you want a longer stem!

Rnd 14: Sl st in the next 2 sts. Ch 100 and join with a sl st on the opposite side of the round. Sl st in the next 2 sts to secure. Cut yarn and tie off.

Cap:

To begin, make Magic Ring
Rnd 1: 10 sc into the ring. Pull the ring closed, but not tightly – there should be a circle left open big enough to get your hook through later. -10 sts
Rnd 2: *1 sc in the next st, 2 sc in the next st.  Repeat from * around. – 15 sts
Rnds 3-4: 1 sc in ea of the next 15 sts. – 15 sts
Rnd 5: *1 sc in ea of the next 2 sts, 2 sc in the next st. Rpt from * around. – 20 sts
Rnds 6-7: 1 sc in ea of the next 20 sts. – 20 sts
Rnd 8: Sl st in ea st around. Cut yarn and fasten off.

Insert hook from the top of the cap to the underside and catch the 100-st long chain you made for the stem. Pull the chain through so that the cap fits over the top of the stem.

Tighten the hole at the top of the cap to the tension you like (remember you still want the cap to be able to move up and down the chain).

Weave in all ends.

To get a really good glow going, leave your new Jack-o’-lantern mushroom on the windowsill to charge in the sunlight (or moonlight).

The glowing in this picture is enhanced by my camera exposure setting, but still, they’re pretty dang glowy.

These are so handy for carrying pocket money, chapstick, pretty rocks, etc… or just for looking cuter than heck.

-MF